30 March 2006 Edition

Campaign to abolish prescription charges

Sinn Féin MLA John O'Dowd, Michelle Gildernew and Stiofain Long at the launch

Sinn Féin has launched a Six County-wide campaign aimed at abolishing health
service prescription charges.

Evidence suggests that the continued existence of Health Service
prescription charges in the Six Counties constitutes a financial barrier to
receiving treatment for a proportion of the population and that this has a
detrimental effect on their health. The campaign aims to remove financial
barriers and put an end to a system which financially penalises people for
being ill.

The launch of the Sinn Féin campaign last Monday was attended by
representatives of various organisations including the British Medical
Association, Royal College of Nursing, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy,
the MS Society, Diabetes UK, Belfast Carers' Centre, Asthma UK, The Dry Arch
Centre for Families Dungiven, and the Community Development and Health
Network.

To introduce a universal public healthcare system, where services
are provided free to all at point of delivery

To ensure equal access to health services regardless of
socio-economic status, physical or mental disability, and to achieve
greater equality in health outcomes.

To bring primary care including prevention, health promotion,
public health and community-based health services to the centre of the
healthcare system.

Sinn Féin MLA John O'Dowd speaking at the launch of the Sinn Féin campaign
said: "Sinn Féin, within a new Six County Executive and in keeping with our
belief that all health services, including access to prescription
medication, should be free at the point of delivery, will seek to introduce
enabling legislation which will abolish all Health Service prescription
charges.

"However, we recognise that those who are ill cannot afford to wait while
anti-Agreement unionists delay the restoration of the Assembly and
Executive. Sinn Féin councillors across the Six Counties will be introducing
motions to their respective councils calling on direct-rule minister Shaun
Woodward to adopt the approach taken by his colleagues in Wales and to
commence the phasing out of prescription charges. As a first step in such a
process, we are advocating a full review of the medical conditions which are
included in the present system of exemptions with a view to ensuring that
all chronic conditions should be covered", he said.